Murder at the university
by Tea and Shortbreads
Summary: The Doctor has received a message from his friend the Nobel price Professor James who is in trouble.


"Sarah Jane, we have to go to Oxford."

"Doctor, you want to go back to the University? You don't need it. You are far more intelligent than everybody else in this planet."

"Thank you Sarah Jane, I love when I'm remembered about that."

"I hate when you do that and you should know it."

"Ok Madam, sorry!"

"So what about Oxford?"

"Do you remember the professor James?"

"The one who won the Noble Price?"

"Thanks to me, Yes! This one!"

"What's happening with him?"

"He is in danger."

"I thought he was dead."

"No, he still giving conferences once a week at the aula magna at the University. He is 75 years old but with all his head."

"Well and what else can you tell me?"

"I don't know, I have to go to see what's going on with him."

"So as you say, Allons-y!"

The TARDIS travelled to Oxford in a few minutes. The Doctor and his friend were in Stratford visiting the city in order to meet William Shakespeare but this was now more important. The Blue box landed in the gardens of the University not far from the Professor's office. They arrived to the main entrance where they saw ambulances, police cars.

"Hello what's happening?"

"Professor James has been found dead in his office."

"That's impossible, I have received a message from him a few hours ago. He wanted to meet me."

"Who are you?"

"Oh I'm the Doctor John Smith from the University of Harvard. A hold friend of Professor James. Nice to meet you! And this is my friend Sarah Jane Smith, she is a journalist."

"Nice to meet you Mrs Smith."

"And you Mrs?"

"Mrs Albright but call me Karen."

"Well Karen tell me. When did they find him dead and who found him?"

"Just one hour ago, some students."

"I need to speak with them."

"The police is already talking to them."

"Get me here please."

A moment later.

"Chief Detective Inspector John Smith of Scotland Yard, who found the body'" said the doctor showing his psychic paper.

"Detective Inspector, Sorry nobody told us you were coming."

"I will have to change my secretary. Anyway, I'm here. So tell me."

"That was me!" said a young woman.

"Hello, your name is?"

"Astrid Eloise."

"So tell me Astrid Eloise. What time was it when you saw him in his office?"

"A little bit after 9 AM. Probably 9:10."

"Why did you went to see him?"

"He is my tutor for my thesis to enter to Harvard once I finish here my doctorate of Economics. I want to go further in the works he did when he won the Nobel Price 30 years ago. And he was helping me with that."

"Do you know if there are some people who were jealous of him?"

"I don't know Sir."

"D.I Smith, we have found a letter to The Doctor in the floor. Do you know who it can be?"

"Yes of course, that's me!"

"But you are not…"

"Yes but once a month I work at the University of Harvard. I teach laws. So Professor James knew me under the name of The Doctor John Smith. Ok?"

"Yes Ok!"

"Well may I?"

"Yes of course." Giving him the letter.

"Thank you."

A moment later.

"What does the letter say?"

"Nothing important. He just wanted to meet me to talk about something important. But this morning I received a message in my smartphone where he told me he was in danger. That was just before 8h45 AM."

"Well we have to wait for the autopsy to know how he died."

"Yes meanwhile, I will talk to Astrid Eloise and Karen. I don't know it's just intuition but I think Karen knows more than she pretends."

"Why do you think that?"

"Intuition. Just that!"

A few minutes later.

"Well Karen, what was your relation with the professor?"

"He was my father's best friend till he won the Nobel Price."

"Is your father still alive that I could talk to him?"

"No he died some years ago, a terrible depression."

"What's happened?"

"He got very disappointed the Professor didn't mention him during the ceremony of the Nobel Price when he has been helping him so many times. Instead he mentioned the name of John Smith from Harvard. Oh this is you."

"Karen, I didn't know anything about your dad. I always met Professor James in Harvard never in Oxford. I didn't help him for his works in case you don't know I am a law teacher. I just helped him about the legal aspects of his works. All the economic parts were done by…"

"My father. Without my father he wouldn't have won the Nobel Price."

"Mr Smith, sorry to disturb but we have the result of the autopsy. Professor James has been murdered. Poisoned."

"How?"

"Probably his tea. We are analyzing the mug but we won't get the results till tomorrow."

"Ok, let me know as soon as you have them."

"Well Mrs Albright, let's comeback to where we were before."

"When was the last time you saw Professor James?"

"Yesterday night, I met him in the cloister of the University. I was leaving home and He was going back to his room. You know he lives here at the University. He has a suite when he came to do the conference in the Aula Magna. Otherwise he lives in London."

"Yes I know. And after you didn't see him at all."

"No, why? Should I?"

"No, of course not!"

"If you don't need me anymore, I will leave and go back home."

"Where were you between 8h45 and 9h10 the time Professor James was killed?"

"In the Library."

"That is door to door with Professor James Suite."

"Are you pretending I have killed him?"

"No I don't. Why are you getting nervous suddenly? One last thing before leaving, we need your fingerprints for the enquiry. Routine as we say. Thank you."

"You're welcome…"

Back in the TARDIS

"Doctor, do you think Karen killed the professor?"

"Well that's quite strange she got nervous at the end of the interview and I guess she must be really angry with him after what had happened between his father and him."

"I don't know what to think now. Tomorrow we will know more about it."

"Good night Doctor!"

"Good night Sarah Jane!"

The day after back to the University.

"We have the result of the mug. We have found poison in it and the fringerprints of Mrs Albright."

"Are you sure about what you say?"

"Completely!"

"I think I need to have another chat with Mrs Albright now!"

"Do you know where I can find him?"

"No but ask at the reception desk they must know where to find her..."

A few minutes later

"Sorry to disturb the class, I need to speak to Mrs Albright."

"Mrs Karen Albrigh please?"

"Professor. She just left by the door behind us."

"Thank you!" said the Doctor running as fast as he could to find her. He finally did it in the Aula Magna."

"Karen, what are you so afraid of?"

"Nothing!"

"So if you are not afraid of anything why were you running?"

"I did not kill the professor."

"Karen, I'm sorry but they have found your fingerprints in the mug so tell me. I listen!"

"Yes I wish he was dead but I didn't killed him. And yes I gave him a mug of tea yesterday morning."

"Why you didn't tell us that yesterday? You know that lying to the Police won't help you at all if I discovered you have murdered the professor."

"But I haven't. I tell you I haven't."

"It's at me to decide about it. Meanwhile I have to arrest you. You have the right to say nothing and …"

"Please shut up I know all this. I watch television at home. And for you information someone gave me the Mug of Tea."

"Who?"

"Miss Astrid Eloise"

"We didn't find any fingerprints apart yours and the professor's. So it's impossible Astrid Eloise did it."

"Oh because she was having gloves. Analyze if you don't have some threat or fibre on the mug. And compare with the gloves she was wearing yesterday. Do it and tomorrow you will have to apologize to me."

"Find me Astrid Eloise now. I need to talk to her. Let see who she really is and if Karen Albright says the truth why did she killed the professor?"

Once in the office of the Rector of the University.

"Tell me Miss Astrid Eloise, why did you gave the mug of tea to Mrs Albright as she has told us?"

"I didn't!"

"Excuse me do you mind giving me your gloves."

"Why do you need them?"

"Mrs Albright told us you were having glove when you gave her the mug."

"I didn't gave her anything."

"We will check. Meanwhile you are arrested."

"I am what? I beg your pardon?"

"You are arrested. That's easy to understand, no? Get her to the police station."

Some hours later…

"D.I we have the result. Same fibre in the mug than the glove."

"So Karen Albright was right, she didn't killed the professor. Astrid Eloise did it."

The Doctor went to the Police Station and see Mrs Albright."

"I'm terribly sorry, you were right. Eloise have killed the professor but why?"

"I'm glad you recognize your mistake Doctor or should I say Time Lord?"

"How do you know?"

"You met my father a long time ago in a reception with Queen Elisabeth here in Oxford. He was with a little girl that was me."

"Oh yes, I remember."

"That was just a year before the Nobel Price."

"Yes when everything was alright between them. Doctor now that we know Astrid Eloise killed the professor. Do you know why she did it?"

"No, I don't. I just know that the professor was suspecting her of something, and that's why he called me for help. I will have to talk to her again. Meanwhile, go home and have a rest. Sarah Jane will go with you. You don't mind?"

"Of course not!"

"Doctor, you look different."

He smiled at her and left to another room

"Miss Astrid Eloise, I arrest you for the murder of Professor James. You have the right to say nothing…"

3 days later at the court of law.

"Miss Astrid Eloise Granger, stand up to listen the sentence. You have been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for the murder of Professor Sir Michael David James. You will be at the women prison of Bristol…"

"Thank you Doctor for everything."

"Sorry Karen not to have trust you the first time you told me it wasn't you."

"By the way Doctor, I have never wanted to kill Professor James, he was my Godfather. I just don't know, I was angry, and we will never know why he stopped to talk to my dad."

"Karen, do you want to spend the rest of the week-end with us?

"With you and Sarah Jane?"

"Yes!"

"Of course I want."

A few minutes later near the University.

"Oh my Dad told me about it. How do you manage to travel inside, it's so little."

"Open the Door!"

"Oh it's bigger in the inside."

"Sarah Jane, did you know that?"

"Oh! Welcome into the TARDIS Karen!"

"Karen, please open the door and look outside."

She did has she was told and find herself in the cloister of the University of Oxford seeing her father Professor Albright and Professor James talking amicably. She turned to the Doctor.

"Thank You Doctor!" closing the door. The TARDIS left and carried on travelling with Sarah Jane Smith, Karen Albright and The Doctor….


End file.
